I am the "bard" in question. I would like to clarify my stance in the discussion. I have "Lore" from Ardent Dilettante. This keeps coming up in our game. I ask all the time, “Do I get a Lore check on that?” but to be denied. Last game we had some planar race mentioned that I (even as a player) hadn’t heard about. I inquired about a Lore check with the hope of receiving some type of informative flavor-text to the disposition of the race like, “You have heard they consume entire worlds!!!!” or “They are soft and made of flowers!” I don’t know. Something! My intention is not to get any ‘combat’ info on them, but just to be flavorful. Basically, it has come down to just person, place or thing (and that being a SPECIFIC person, place or thing). Like drow for example. If my character had never encountered drow before in the game, I would ask, “Oh drow huh? Do I get a Lore check on that?” Well, the answer is no, because a drow is not a SPECIFIC person, place or thing.
“Drow! Some say they used to be surface elves long ago, but now they live underground.”
“Oh! Really? Why did they leave?”
“Oh! Noone knows for sure, but some believe they were tainted by EVIL!!!!!!!”
“Ahhh!”
Nope. Nothing.
But DRIZZT!! No problem!
“Drizzt? Yes, you know he is a drow living on the surface who fights with two swords and a big black magical cat.”
“Wow, really? What is a drow?”
“You don’t know!”
~ Patrick ~